harriet ruth tracy



K0. 626,470. Patented lune 6, I899. H. n. TRACY.

SEWING MACHINE.

(Application filed May 13, 1893. Renewed Aug. 81, 1898.)

g I 37mm witnesses vrnid Ru/Zk Ind ma uonms PETERS cu. Pum'auma,wnswus'mm n cy UNITE STATES PATENT FFICE.

HARRIET RUTH TRACY, OF NE\V YORK, N. Y.

SEWING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 626,470, dated June 6,1899. Application filed May 13,1893. Renewed August 31, 1898- Serial No.689,960. (No model.)

To all 1071,0171, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRIET RUTH TRACY, a citizen of the'United States,residing at New York, (New Brighton) in the county of Richmond and Stateof New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSewing-hlachines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to sewingmachin es.

The object is to produce means for support.- ing the shuttle orloop-taker of a sewing-machine in such man ner that the shuttle orlooptaker shall have a free rotary motion and allow the passage of theneedle-thread entirely around it without coming in contact with itssupport; furthermore, to produce a support for a shuttle or loop-taker,whereby a free rotary movement will be permitted the shuttleorloop-taker, the passage of the thread around the shuttle or loop-takerfacilitated,

and whereby also ample oiling without allowtheescape of the oilendangering soiling of the thread is provided for;

The invention consists of various novel details of construction wherebythe objects of the invention are attained and the operativeness of theinvention insured.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 is an elevation of a sewing-machine comprising my invention.Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a detached portion of the working parts ofa sewing-machine embodying the invention. Fig. 3 is a longitudinalvertical section of one of the supporting-rollers and its appurtenances.Fig. 4 is a perspective View of two of the supporting-rollers arrangedin position for attachment to a sewing-machine. Fig. 5 is a plan View,partly in section, showing the oil'receiving opening for the shaft, andthe means for retaining the shafts in position. Fig. 6 is a perspectiveView of one of the shaft-supon which the supporting wheels or rollersare mounted.

In the drawings, A represents a shuttle or loop-taker which is designedto contain the under thread utilized in forming a lock-stitch. Theshuttle or loop-taker is provided with three peripheral openings a, theterminals or .ends of each of which form at each opening a pair ofopposing hooks o a of different size and shape, of which the hook o isadapted to engage the loop of the needle-thread brought down by theneedle 13 and to carry it entirely around the shuttle to inclose asecond or lower thread to. form a lock-stitch, and the hook a to engagethe loop of the needlethread and to carry it through a preceding loop toform a chain-stitch or to engage a lower or shuttle thread to formalocked chain-stitch, the change from one kind of stitch to the otherbeing effected by simply reversing-the direction of rotation of theloop-taker. The periphery of the shuttle or loop-taker A is reduced andis designed to be received in and be retained in position by grooves insupporting-wheels O, suitably secured upon the frame of the machine.These wheels are preferably mounted in sets upon suitable frames G, asillustrated in the drawings, the frames being attached by screws orother means to a plate F,adjacent to the loop-takeror shuttle. Anydesired number of the wheels maybe used and they may be arranged in anyconvenient operative position and disposed in such manner with relationto the hook-openings in the shuttle as to insure an easily-operated andsmooth-running shuttle.

In order that the wheels or rollers C may be properly sustained, theirfree movement insured, and possibility of soiling of the loop of theneedle-thread in passing around the shuttle or loop-taker by coming incontact with oil prevented, I mount the wheels or rollers in'the mannernow to be described.

D represents the shafts of the wheels or rollers O. This shaft isprovided with an internal passage d, communication with which is hadthrough suitable openings 61 (1 The shaft is provided with an externalcollar (1 which serves to retain the shaft in proper position and alsoto prevent the too free passage of oil from end to end on the exteriorof the shaft.

Each of the wheels 0 is provided with an elongated hub or projection c,forming a hearing for the wheel, and when the parts are in position theend of this elongated portion bears against the collar d on the shaft.The

wheels 01' rollers O are retained in position on the shafts by screws d,which are received in suitable countersinks in the wheels or rollers.are occupiedby the heads of the screws d the rest of the countersinksbeing filled by a plug Onlya portion of these-countersin ks or capd,which may be of any suitable material, such as metal, vulcanized rubber,

wood, paper, or the like.

The preferred manner .of retaining the shaft D in position in itsbearings E is by, forming near the end of the shaft a c'ircumferentialgroove (1 and by cutting away one side of the end of the shaft, as at (1and by placing adjacent to the end of the shaft a screw d, the headwhereof is of a thickness to enter the groove d. The cut 01 is of a formto receive the end of the screw 61 so.- that by bringing the indentationadjacent to the screw (1 the shaft may be freely moved 1 back and forth,and by giving the shaft a quarter-turn after being placed in positionthe head of the screw will engage the circular groove and sliding of theshaft prevented. As a convenient means of preventing the axial movementof the shaft D after being placed in position I provide a set-screw dpassing throughthebearing E and impinging against the shaft. preferablymade hollow in order that oil nec- The set-screw d is i essary for thelubrication of the shaftD may I be introduced through it. The'parts areso 3 formed that when in proper position the opening in the set-screw dis directly over one of the openings d in the shaft D, and a flattenedform a secure seat for the end of the screw.

From the foregoing it will be seen that by introducing oil through thehollow set-screw d the same will be conducted through the shaft D anddistributed along the bearings of ortion 01 is rovided near this 0 eninto i O the wheels .0 as the same revolve and possibility of the escapeof oil to the peripheries of the wheels will at all times be prevented,

and thereby danger of soiling thread brought into contact with theshuttle or loop-takercarried by the wheels will be prevented.

Having thus described my invention, what I'claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a sewing-machine the combination with a shuttle or loop-taker, ofa support therefor consisting of a series of circumferentially-groovedrollers, each having an elongated bearing formed thereon, a shaft foreach of said bearings, an internal oil-passage formed in the shaft, aset-screw in the end of the passage, a countersink in the rollers toreceive the head of the set-screws, and a plug for filling thecountersink, substantially as the same in place, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a sewing-machine, the combination with a shuttle orloop-taker, ofa support therefor consisting of a series of circumferentially-groovedrollers, each having an elongated bearing formed thereon, and mounted ona fixed shaft provided with an external collar and an internaloil-passage, ports leading to the oil-passage, a set-screw in the end ofthe passage to retain the wheel on the shaft, a set-screw penetratingthe bearing of the shaft and impinging upon said shaft to hold the samein place, and a passage in set-screw of bearing adapted to register withports in the shaft, substantially as described.

4. In a sewing-machine, the combination with a shuttle or loop-taker, ofa support therefor consisting of a series of circumferentially-groovedrollers, each having an elongated bearing formed thereon and mounted onafixed shaft provided with an external collar and an internaloil-passage, ports leading to the passage, a set-screw in the end of thepassage, a set-screw penetrating the bearing of the shaft and impingingupon said shaft, a passage in the latter set-screw, and an annulargroove in one end of the shaft to admit the head of a set-screw in thebearing adjacent to the groove, substantially as described.

. In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

HARRIET RUTH TRACY.

Witnesses:

DAVID H. MEAD, E. H. PARRY.

